Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Call for Innovative Models of Care

Are you involved in or aware of an innovative clinical practice model that involves physical therapist practice? APTA is developing resources to help prepare members for success in new integrated models of care, such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), and advance physical therapist practice. As a first step, we would like to collect examples of innovative models of care involving physical therapists.

Such models of care may include but are not limited to:

interprofessional models of care in which the physical therapist is the primary care manager for certain neuromusculoskeletal complaints and conditions

models that improve access to physical therapy care, such as those that involve technology, triage, and group-based education

shared savings and/or shared risk programs

management of health risk indicators, especially in large patient populations

Comments

I work in an integrated practice with Osteopathic Physicians who are board certified in family practice and sports medicine. The unique model we use is one that has actually been around for a long time - the marriage of osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) with physical therapy practice. The osteopaths will perform OMM and other procedural interventions on patients with musculoskeletal dysfunction and refer them to me for exercise instruction, manual therapy and modality applications. I use a strong evidence based approach to my treatment applications consisiting mainly of manual therapy and exercise applications. The patients will see me 1 to 3 times per week (average about 1 to 2, rarely 3 unless they are post operative) and the osteopaths q 3 to 4 weeks. The outcomes are amazing. We are planning an RCT for this model for non specific LBP comparing it to non-osteopathic primary care (NSAIDs), PT only groups and will look at outcomes (functional and pain) and cost. No standardized treatments will be used to reflect the generalized nature of PT practice.

Posted by Peter Sprague, PT, DPT
on 6/3/2011 3:39 PM

I like the potential for professional collaboration w/the osteopathic profession and the patient-centered focus. But wouldn't the results of the porposed RTC be strengthened, and more clinically instructive (to those of us who don't have the luxury of working in close proximity w/osteopaths) if the patients' type of LBP complaints, and treatments implemented are "profiled"?